Stripped of life...

Thirty years of the same old shit;(of rock and roll ignorance)
Of music, of money of hit after hit...
From blue swede shoes and back again
Different era same old game

They changed it's name once or twice
Dressed if different, and upped the price
And if any question, all a lie
(tell them Elvis never died) tell them Johnny Rotten never died

And what if your revolution starts, everybody will be to busy watching the charts
Government-sponsored rebellion: BUY IT!
A BIT MORE PRODUCT TO KEEP US QUITE

It's one more method of keeping us in line
It's one more fashion it's called punk this time
We're shouting loud but we're facing a wall
Of sexist, drugged up, rock and roll

Spoken word piece:

Meanwhile the industry we call rock and roll carry's on growing
Buying up our means of communication, watching and waiting
They've got the check books in the one hand
And the safe, acceptable, finished packaged product in the other
CONTRACTS! CON-TRICKS!

I don't want to be apart of that rock and roll circus
I don't want to be a passive, well-trained animal or a painted clown
Because as we're clowning about in that circus
This planet is being destroyed, bit, by bit, by bit
And rock and roll is helping to kill it

It's time to kick away the props that hold up the power structures
It's time to create something different, it's time to change!
Rock and roll won't change a thing
It's the same institution no-matter what you sing!

Chumbawamba

Anarcho-pop band from Leeds.

Originally formed in the early 1980s as Chimp Eats Banana, Chumbawamba first emerged in the anarchopunk scene which was dominated by bands such a pacifist punks Crass. As Chumbawamba increasingly differed from their peers in outlook and tactics, they began to adopt a new musical style which incorporated elements of folk music, indie rock and hip-hop.

After drifting between labels, their change in direction culminated in signing a record deal with major label EMI, a choice which sparked outrage amongst their former comrades, outrage that culminated in a “Fuck Chumbawamba” compilation. By chance, Chumbawamba’s new work with EMI resulted in an internationally best-selling single, “Tubthumping”, and a sudden rise to fame.